Sigma Lens Ocean Springs MS

Camera Lenses directly impact the clarity of your shots. The many different shapes and sizes of camera lenses produce different effects. Continue reading to learn more about Sigma lenses and get information on local companies and providers that will help you in your search.

Short Report: Sigma APO Macro 150mm ƒ/2.8

Short Report: Sigma APO Macro 150mm ƒ/2.8

This fast, telephoto macro lens offers a great deal of versatility for field shooting

By Rob Sheppard

I love being surprised by the world, and a macro lens is a great way to discover those surprises. A macro lens lets you isolate and focus in on the often amazing and unexpected details around us. I had the chance to work with Sigma's new 150mm ƒ/2.8 macro lens (officially, APO Macro 150mm ƒ/2.8 EX DG HSM), and this combination of focal length and wide aperture offered a wonderful experience in exploring the realm of the close-up.

Such a surprise was my encounter with a dramatically colored red eft. This is the immature land phase of the red-spotted newt, a salamander of the East Coast. I had spotted this beauty on the trail in Frozen Head State Park in eastern Tennessee after a rain. Since these little critters have a toxic skin for most predators, it's not unusual to see them out after a rain.

I got out the Sigma 150, which, on my Canon Digital Rebel XT, offered an equivalent angle of view of a 240mm lens on a 35mm film camera. That gave a great magnification of the eft without having to be right on top of it, a real advantage of a telephoto macro lens. They're diminutive creatures and not particularly fond of a big photographer leaning in too close. The lightweight, compact size of the 150mm macro and XT was a joy to use, as you had to hold the camera at the ready while finding and shooting different compositions of the newt.

I was pleased with the way this lens handled and performed under pressure. It has a speedy Hyper Sonic Motor for autofocus as well as a full-time manual focus override, which all worked well on this subject. The large ƒ/2.8 maximum aperture made focusing easier on a bright viewfinder screen, plus it gave more than enough speed and depth-of-field options for a whole range of shooting. The lens includes two special low-dispersion (SLD) glass elements for high color correction (hence the APO designation), and I found the images sharp and crisp, from bee close-ups to setting-sun landscapes.

Sigma Lens for Pentax and Sony

Sigma Unveils New Lens for Pentax and Sony

Features optical stabilization

RONKONKOMA, NY--(Marketwire - June 18, 2009) - Sigma Corporation ( www.sigmaphoto.com ), a leading researcher, developer, manufacturer and service provider for some of the world's most impressive lines of lenses, cameras and flashes, has announced the availability of its 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM lens for Pentax and Sony mounts.

The 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM extended range zoom lens incorporates Sigma's exclusive technology, the Hybrid Optical Stabilizer, an anti-shake system that allows users to choose between image stabilization in either the camera body or the viewfinder. This is the first and only technology of its kind available in compatible mounts for Pentax and Sony digital cameras.

"Since the release of Sigma's 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM, we've seen the demand steadily increase because it is a highly accessible lens that appeals to all levels of photographers," said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, general manager of Sigma Corporation of America. "We're proud that, once again, Sigma is leading the way in innovation by offering the first-ever optically stabilized lens available for these manufacturers' digital cameras. Better yet, we are able to do this at an affordable price."

In addition to the unique OS system, this DC lens is a dedicated digital SLR camera lens suited for APS-C format, and incorporates Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) functionality to ensure quiet and high speed auto focus (AF). The lens has 13.8 times zoom ratio capabilities, making it ideal for close-up photography for digital SLRs. An inner focusing system eliminates front lens rotation, making it suitable for use with circular polarizing filters and the supplied petal-type hood.

The 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM, which recently received the award of Best Entry Level Lens by Technical Image Press Association, is currently available for Nikon, Canon, Sony and Pentax mounts for $800 MSRP in stores nationwide.

For more than 50 years, Sigma Corporation's expertise and innovation has driven the company's core philosophy of "knowledge, plus experience, plus imagination," with an emphasis on producing high-quality, high-performance photographic technology at moderate prices. This family-owned organization is the largest, independent SLR lens manufacturer in the world, producing more than 40 lenses that are compatible with most manufacturers, including Sigma, Canon, Minolta, Sony, Nikon, Olympus and Pentax. Sigma Corporation also produces digital SLR cameras and high-definition digital compact cameras. The company is headquartered in Japan, with offices strategically located throughout Europe, Asia and North America. For information, please visit www.sigmaphoto.com .

Camera Lenses directly impact the clarity of your shots. The many different shapes and sizes of camera lenses produce different effects. Continue reading to learn more about Zeiss lenses and get information on local companies and providers that will help you in your search.